BusinessWeek Mindanao
By Joe Palabao
May 11, 2011

ISLAND Garden City of Samal––Tourism Project: Visit Samal Island is a three-month summer tourist escapades for all foreign and domestic tourists and enjoy bundle of benefits and world-class amenities offered by the 27 beaches and inland resorts of the enchanted Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) from March 2011 to May 2011.

Through a public, private partnership (PPP), the Department of Tourism in Region 11, with the able leadership of Regional Director Art Boncato Jr., the local government of Samal with its dynamic local executive, Mayor Aniano P. Antalan and the Samal Tourism Council innovative chairman Dr. Austerio “Bebot” Obenza bring to the “World of Tourism” the first-ever Samal Visit Island Project to attract more tourists to visit the island.

With the project, it is with pride and pleasure that Samal Passport is presented to all foreign and domestic tourists and are available and found in all major malls in the country and visitors arriving in major ports, where tourists can pick them up and bring to Samal City as passport, capture the beauty of the island, and for the visitors to genuinely enjoy the huge discounts offered by the participating resorts of Samal City.

Samal Passports invite the tourists from all over the world to discover, explore and experience Samal. Enjoy the island of sun, sand and seas and highland thrills, and make each visit a reason to come back again and again.

In an interview, Dr. Bebot Obenza-Chairman of the Island Garden City of Samal Tourism told BusinessWeek Mindanao that Visit Samal Island Project is the first of its kind under the public, private partnership being facilitated by his office with the support of members of Samal City Resort Owners Association to attract more tourists to visit the island. The same project will also be offered during lean months to see the extent of tourists arrivals of the City.

To date there are 48 resorts Samal City comprising the high end resorts for the AB market, middle end for the C market and the low end for all to enjoy to include the locales.

At A Glance: The Island Garden City of Samal is a group of islands in the heart of Davao Gulf and its sea waters and reefs are within the 1.6 million square kilometers stretch land area of the BIMP-EAGA Equator which is claimed to be Mother’s Earth true center of Biodiversity. Physically unattached to the mainland of Mindanao, the island is 900 meters east of Davao City and 10 kilometers of continuous coastline and with an extensive mountain range at the eastern coast, a number of isolated hills and uneven distribution of lowlands.

Participating resorts are the following: Hof Gorei Beach Resort, Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort, Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Punta del Sol Beach Resort Restaurant and Aqua Sports, Marex Beach Resort, Chemas By The Sea, Golden Bay Beach Resort and SPA, Blue Jaz, Club Asiano Beach Resort, Captain Hook’s Red Parrot Inn, Aznebo Grill and Restaurant, Rainbow Breeze Beach Resort, Island Ridge Mountain Resort, Fernandez Beach Resort, Mahan Garden Resort, Hagimit Falls, Mayumi Disney Sea Beach Resort, HI-5 Princess Tropical Inland Resort, Camp Holiday Resort and Recreation Area, Blue Water Village and Resort, Sea Grass Beach Resort, Ilihan Beach Resort, Precious Garden of Samal, Florenda’s Beach Resort, Maxima Resort Aqua Fun, Ato Ni Bay (ANB) Hotel and Wind and Wave Davao.